


A Touch to Heal all Wounds

by Weywyrdsis (AlorevFritz)



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: F/F, Female Pronouns for Grell Sutcliff, Hurt/Comfort, Modern AU, but just be aware there's some transphobic/homphobic violence involved in the plot, it's not really that graphic, not as much fluff as ya'll would probs like, sapphic sutcliff week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 05:35:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20304292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlorevFritz/pseuds/Weywyrdsis
Summary: The hand that had been resting on Grell’s cheek shifted a little to brush a little drying blood away from her split lip, Grell held dreadfully still, breath ghosting out against An’s hand and she blinked once before holding An’s gaze with an intense inquisitiveness. An took her hand away with a deliberate care that she couldn’t identify. She wasn’t sure where it had come from, crossing the line of her usual professionalism.





	A Touch to Heal all Wounds

**Author's Note:**

> I could have looked up how healthcare works in the UK, but like...I didn't so...I guess this is set in the US then? Idk man I'm not even from the US I just kinda know how that one works. Just go with it, I just wanted to write hurt/comfort for the Free Day prompt lmao

Angelina Dalles had thrown herself headlong into her career after the passing of her husband, and her unborn child. She had already been making steady, consistent progress, graduating med school and finding residency at a hospital with a little more ease than others. Now she was on her way towards heading an obstetrics ward and she intended to head one within the next two years. If her current hospital couldn't give it to her, she'd find one that could. Moving for work was hardly an issue. The only thing holding her to the city was her nephew, and she had the money to visit whenever she pleased. When it had been clear that Sebastian, as his godparent, would be able to get custody of Ciel with the death, she had known then that she could relax a little. He would be well cared for, she had testified as such at the custody hearings. And as much as a selfish part of her had wanted to take her nephew and raise him, just to have someone else in her house and to protect him, she knew, with the rest of her heart, that Sebastian was much more mentally and emotionally capable of giving Ciel what he needed.

And so she was alone, free to go wherever she wished. She missed the sweet binding of a family holding her to a place. Her husband was not a chain, he had been a lifeline she had lashed to a ship-mast to keep her on the deck throughout the storms life could throw.

But he was gone. And she was lost at sea, her career a piece of flotsam she'd grabbed in desperation so she wouldn't drown. So far, her head had stayed above water, and so she’d continued to do what she did best, which for now, was her job. And it said something about how well that was going that she was simply walking through a park this late at night, letting her feet move so her mind could too. There was a lot she didn’t want to think about, and a lot she needed to think about, and somehow her apartment was so terribly stifling she could do neither of those things. 

Perhaps it was not the safest thing to be doing, but she could hardly have cared, not enough to stop herself anyways. The night air was very nice on her skin and her feet beneath her gave her some sort of freedom her current life. Usually, she put in her headphones, with her music on low and just let herself traverse the city. Usually, she ignored any yelling or attempt to engage.

Not tonight. It wasn’t her fault really, as the yelling had tumbled out an alley and around her and she had barely avoided it. Instead, she was pressed up against a building, eyes wide and trying to avoid the scramble. 

A man turned to her, bloody and muddy. “The fuck you want?”

“Nothing!” The words came out a lot stronger than she felt. “I’m sorry, I didn’t...I was just walking-”

He was stalking towards her and a hand grabbed him from the fray and threw him back into the street. Before it registered, there was a woman between them, tall and vicious. “Fuck you! Leave her alone. You want a fight then come here you little shit. You started it, come here and end it!”

There were two others on the ground, and the first man seemed a little more deflated than he had at first. “What are you gonna do you fucking tr-”

The woman's fist connected with his face with a rather loud crack and An winced, even as the woman's leg came up into his groin without hesitation. The man stumbled, and she gave him no reprieve, head butting him as he went to curl up around his groin. If his nose, and perhaps jaw hadn’t been broken before, they certainly were now. The woman stepped back as he crumpled and whirled around to face An. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, yes I-” Perhaps she had been unreasonably focused on her career, but it was to her advantage here as she surveyed the woman. “You, however; are not.”

“I’m...fine. They definitely aren’t, but that’s what you get for jumping people outside gay bars!”

“Fucking t-” One of the other men started to speak and the woman’s foot came down square in his stomach, heel against his ribcage. An heard the snap, but didn’t feel particularly compassionate towards him, all things considered.

“You are not alright.” The woman was ushering An away, back in towards the club. “Where are you-Where am I-”

“Inside before their friends get here. I know the owner, you can come to a back room till they leave, but they’ll gang up on anyone who comes out of the bar for the next little bit. Sorry, Ms…..”

“Dalles. Angelina Dalles.”

“Grell Sutcliff. Sorry to get you involved in all that Miss Dalles.”

“No that’s...my own fault I wasn’t paying attention.” She was ferried to a back room, private and Miss Sutcliff made a frustrated face. Her lips curled back from her teeth a little and her brows were upturned and scrunched towards each other. She looked a little like a particularly angry badger after having been dip-dyed red.

“They do that sometimes, sit outside the bar and wait for people to go out back for a smoke or whatever. I didn’t mean to fight but...if they’re asking for it…”

“I understand. Sit down, I’m a doctor, you’re hurt. Is there a medical kit somewhere?” An gestured at the couch on the far side of the room. It seemed to take over very quickly, the need to assist this young woman and do her job overcoming her confusion. Whatever had happened, she could figure out the details later.

“I...ya, probably. Hang on.” Grell was shifting a little uncomfortably, but leaned out the door and hollered down the hallway of what seemed to be the employee-only area. “Eric! Come ‘ere.”

A man appeared after a moment, mildly irritable, blowing messy blond hair out of his face. He didn’t seem overly concerned, which made Angelina fairly certain this was a common occurrence. “Whadja do?”

“Nothing. But you’ve got some transphobic assholes outside, so maybe don’t let anyone out alone for the next lil while, or at least warn them, ya?”

“Shit, ya, I’ll get it dealt with.”

He turned to go and An surged the door, stopping him. “Wait. Do you have a first aid kit? She’s hurt, and I’m a doctor, truly, I work at the Mercy.”

Eric turned back, looking between them both and raising slow, a concerned eyebrow-raising as he looked towards Grell. “Uh, ya, hang on. Grell?”

“She got dragged in, it was an accident.”

“Mhm. Be right back.”

He returned with the kit, which An took, before grabbing Grell’s wrist and pulling her over to the couch. She suspected she didn’t have the weight to haul the other woman over, but she went willingly. An sat her down and pulled up a stool to sit in front of her. “I need to see your hands and face, and maybe your chest. Your breath seems short you may have fractured a rib or two.”

The colour on her cheeks deepened, Grell looking away as she awkwardly shrugged off her jacket. The grimace on her face was clear and An stopped her. “May I?”

Grell nodded, allowing An to help her with her jacket, carefully maneuvering it past her chest and hands. She was very careful about touching An as she did as if she was worried it would be bothersome as if she was worried she was being a bother towards the doctor. An ignored in, touching where needed firmly and gently. “I...um...thanks.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure that man would’ve come after me if you hadn’t defended me, so I can at least return the favour…” An took Grell’s hands in hers, squinting down at the fair hands, lovely red manicure on the nails even in the dim lighting. “Does your left hand hurt worse than your right?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. It’s a bit...hard in this light, but I think you may have broken a knuckle or two...can you move those fingers for me?” 

“A...a little?” Grell huffed out a grunt, moving her pinkie and middle finger. Her upper lip curled up to one side and An caught her hand gently to stop her. “Ow, shite.”

“Okay, don’t do that. Is there a way to get ice? There must be, this a bar. Stay here.” An stood, turning to stride out and down the hallway, she had seen Eric disappear down. Grell let out a half-hearted protest, but she was gone. It was a bar in the middle of the night, it was highly unlikely she’d go too far without finding some sort of staff. She bumped into someone else, another blonde and he stumbled back a little even as she crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at him. “Hello. Do you work here? I need some ice in a bag and a towel. Actually a few of those, preferably. Please, and thank you.”

He continued to stare at her and An tapped her foot impatiently. “Do you work here or not?”

“I...yes?”

“Good. Miss Sutcliff was hurt in a fight earlier, I assume you know her. A couple of bags of ice and some towels, please. Yes?”

“Uh, yes. Yes, just a minute or two ma’am.” 

“Thank you.” She turned and tromped back, waiting at the door for the young man to return. He handed her a few bags of ice and some towels and Grell laughed from inside the room, a lovely loud laugh that seemed to fill the room and spill out to meet An’s ear delightedly.

“You must have scared Ronald into cooperating.”

“Well, I’m not terrible at it anyway, it seems.” An sat down carefully, wrapping a bag in a towel and taking Grell’s hand gently. “Hold this to your hand, and when the swelling goes down I’ll take that ring off so I can splint it properly. You should go see a doctor tonight or tomorrow though.”

“Aren’t I already? I don’t think I’ll get a doctor this pretty if I go to the emergency room…”

An flushed, looking down as she carefully settled the ice over Grell’s hand. “I suppose not, I don’t work the emerg.”

“How unfortunate for me.” 

An chuckled awkwardly and moved her attention to Grell’s chest, eyes following the line of her body up with care. “May I take your shirt off?”

“I-I’m not really...I mean I would prefer…”

An paused, looking up and holding Grell’s gaze as openly as she could. “I’m a doctor, Miss Sutcliff. I’ve seen many different things, and I can promise you, I hold no judgement. I just want to help. If it makes you uncomfortable, I will not, but if you have broken or fractured any ribs you should go see a doctor within the next 24 hours…” 

Grell shifted awkwardly, rubbing at her bruised knuckles of her less abused hand with her own thumb and wincing. “I...okay. You’re probably right and you’re right here so…”

An assisted with taking off her shirt, carefully holding it away from Grell’s skin and sliding it over her head and arms gently. “Careful...how would you rate your pain right now?”

“Just a...just hurts a bit. ‘M fine.” The other woman was tense under An’s hands and An pulled away as soon as she could. 

“I can’t quite tell, but you should have x-rays done. There might be fractures I can’t detect by touch. In the meantime, let me see your face darling.”

Grell moved cooperatively to let Grell inspect the bruise around her eye and the scrape just under her jaw. The scrape was light, nothing serious and An poured a little melting ice onto a towel. “I’m just going to wipe your makeup off a little dear, is that alright?”

“That’s alright, thank you.” Grell twitched a little with the touches but did her best to hold still and An’s free hand rested on Grell’s cheek, stroking idly with her thumb. Once she’d gotten the majority of Grell’s makeup off she sighed and bundled up some of the ice in a towel and held it to her darkening eye. The hand that had been resting on Grell’s cheek shifted a little to brush a little drying blood away from her split lip, Grell held dreadfully still, breath ghosting out against An’s hand and she blinked once before holding An’s gaze with an intense inquisitiveness. An took her hand away with a deliberate care that she couldn’t identify. She wasn’t sure where it had come from, crossing the line of her usual professionalism.

“Would you go to the hospital if I go with you? I know the doctors at Mercy, they’re all very trustworthy, I can promise that, and you really should have your ribs looked at…” An caught her open eye, letting herself bat her lashes a little, and pout just the slightest. If it got Grell to go, she would be happy with that.

Grell nodded once, breath a little fast, and she winced, curling over her ribs just a little. “Ya, I...yes, okay, I’m fine with that.”

“Thank you, dear, that makes me feel much better. Do you have a vehicle?” An shifted her attention back to Grell’s hand. “I’m going to remove your ring in case you swell up anymore, this will hurt a bit.”

“Uh, no, I don’t…ow!” The ring took some twisting and a few controlled tugs to remove and Grell’s expression twisted painfully. An tried to ignore that look as she wrapped up Grell's hand to keep her from moving it. There were certain things that needed to be ignored to get a job done, discomfort often being one of them. It was harder, this time, she wasn't really sure what about Grell was stretching her ability to stay professional so thin. An desperately wanted to sit and comfort her, rather than take the actions that needed to be taken. Still, she couldn't really forgive herself if she didn't help and thus things were worse for the other woman in the long run, despite the pain she was causing in the immediate. “Damn. Ow.”

“Sorry. I’ll order a car, hold on.” She did so quickly and then helped Grell stand, the taller woman’s hand warm in hers. “Hold this pack to your eye.”

She held the other to Grell’s injured hand with her left hand, her right hand under Grell’s arm gently to lead her out as they adjusted with a little awkward shuffling. “Easy, good. Are you feeling alright? Light-headed or dizzy?”

“A little, but that might just be the alcohol.” Grell laughed a little and leaned on An lightly. An grinned up at her, unabashedly for the first time in ages. 

“Perhaps, but I’d still like to keep an eye on you for a concussion. It’s rather hard to tell in this light, and you weren’t unconscious but still.”

“My, my, I’m rather lucky to receive concern from such a lovely stranger.”

“Yes well, it’s the least I can do since you came to my defence, as I said.”

“They were already on me by then.”

“Yes, but you could have left when you had the chance and let them change their focus to me, but you didn’t. I appreciate that.”

“You’re very welcome darling. I could hardly let them mess up a pretty face like yours.”

“Then you ought to be more careful with your own, you are rather lovely, and you’re lucky you’ve not damaged it permanently with the way you fight.” The men were gone as they waited for the car to pull up and An leaned against the outside wall of the building with Grell. 

“Oh come now, I’ve had a good amount of practice.” Grell seemed to preen under the compliment and An shifted to tuck herself against Grell’s side and away from the cold night.

Grell chuckled softly and shrugged a little, bright green eyes shying away from An’s through thick, dark lashes. “I don’t know, I had a few drinks before this.”

“Mmm. I can’t give you a painkiller then. Sorry.” An leaned over, hands carefully brushing Grell’s chest and making as gentle an inspection as she could, just for her own peace of mind. A second look never hurt. Grell’s breath hitched and An bit at her bottom lip for a moment. “Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve had worse.”

“I’m sure you have.” An ushered Grell into the car. “You have ID and insurance with you?”

“ID, yes, insurance…”

“Not a problem then, I understand. It’ll be covered.”

Grell gaped, swallowed and bit at her lower lip for a very long minute. “Miss Dalles…”

“Angelina, or An, please. Besides, I’m a Dr, not a Miss. And I’m hardly giving you a choice on the matter.” 

“Right.” A chuckle trickled out of Grell’s lips. “You’re sure?”

“Mhm.” An took Grell’s hand gently, caught her eyes and smiled softly. “Would you like me to stay when we get there?”

“I..yes? If you don’t-”

“I don’t mind.”

“Thank you.”

Grell’s grip on her hand was unnaturally heavy, but not tight and An couldn’t help but rub her thumb over the other woman’s hand. Despite the situation, there was a feeling she couldn’t shake that she was getting more out of it than Grell. She was hardly going to be leaving the other woman without at least exchanging phone numbers. Perhaps there were a few good reasons to stay in the city, and at the very least, the woman sitting next to her was one of them. Not quite the anchor she now missed, but, at the very least, Miss Sutcliff had tossed a line into the water, and had the grace to wait until An could snatch it in her hands and hold out against the waves.

Besides, a good doctor checked up on their patients, and it was her duty to do so. That would certainly be the perfect excuse to grab Grell’s number.


End file.
